


We Go Together Like Chocolate and Cheese

by CinnamonDjinn



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Domestic Fluff, Feelings, First Dates, Fluff, Gentle Kissing, Graphic depictions of Food, Hunk (Voltron) is a Good Friend, M/M, POV Shiro (Voltron), Short & Sweet, Soft Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-24
Updated: 2020-04-24
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:55:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23812681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CinnamonDjinn/pseuds/CinnamonDjinn
Summary: Few would think it possible but sometimes two opposites can match up in the most perfect of ways, whether it be food or people. Coincidentally, Shiro wants to make Keith's first-ever date something special and he decides to do so via a simple, home-cooked meal.
Relationships: Hunk & Shiro (Voltron), Keith/Shiro (Voltron)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 41





	We Go Together Like Chocolate and Cheese

**Author's Note:**

  * For [psiten](https://archiveofourown.org/users/psiten/gifts).



> Psiten and I recently did a snail-mail letter exchange and this was the little treat I included in the envelope. Thank you Psiten for the prompt! And to everyone else, I hope you enjoy it. :)

  * _1/3 pound imported Swiss cheese, shredded_
  * _1/3 pound Gruyere cheese, shredded_
  * _1/3 pound Fontina cheese, shredded_
  * _2 tablespoons cornstarch_
  * _1 garlic clove, peeled_
  * _1 cup dry white wine_
  * _1 tablespoon lemon juice_
  * _1 tablespoon kirsh or other cherry brandy_
  * _1/2 teaspoon dry mustard_
  * _Pinch nutmeg_
  * _Assorted dippers_ _*_



Shiro stared dubiously at the list of ingredients on his tablet for a good two minutes before looking back up. “I thought you said this would be simple.”

Hunk only chuckled, shaking his head fondly. “Shiro, there are only three steps and one of them is to plate everything.”

The Atlas captain frowned before glancing back down at his tablet, the recipe for cheese fondue staring back at him mockingly. He swiped to the next recipe and then raised an eyebrow, further bewildered at what he read. “Wait, how come the chocolate fondue only has four ingredients while the other one has almost fourteen?!”

“Because it's chocolate,” the Yellow Paladin shrugged. “You can go fancy with it if you want but it doesn't take much to make people happy when it comes to chocolate fondue. Unless you _want_ a more complicated recipe? Because I have another one where you use Graham cracker crumbs and marshmallow and then you set it on fire-”

And just like that Shiro immediately regretted his question. “No! No. That – that's quite alright; this'll work just fine.” He grimaced as he swiped back to the first recipe - needless to say, none of the ingredients were in his kitchen. He didn't even have the proper fondue dishware. Where does someone even buy that? Maybe he should've just taken Keith to a restaurant where they specialized in this sort of thing and thus wouldn't be at risk of messing it up like he could. But he knew Keith was a private person who was shy of crowds and even more so of any sort of public displays of affection. Shiro wanted him to be as comfortable as possible so that his long-time friend (and now his – well, was it too soon to say boyfriend?) could just enjoy his first-ever date (Keith had begrudgingly admitted, deeply embarrassed until he had realized the fact just made Shiro that much more excited to take him on one). Not to mention it was their first-ever date together since confessing after the war ended. So really, there was no other option (that Shiro would bother to consider).

Luckily for him, Hunk was as passionate for teaching others about cooking as he was to do it himself and so he offered himself up to tag along and help Shiro pick up the necessary items (although Shiro's deer-in-headlights look probably helped to sway him). And thank the stars he did; the Garrison commander had no idea how to pronounce Gruyere, had never even heard of Fontina, and had only half a decent chance at picking out Swiss in a cheese lineup because he knew it had holes – although Hunk then educated him to the fact that apparently French Gruyere could have holes too. Easy to say Shiro had never found a shopping trip so stressful.

Yet despite all that, one hour later he was by himself in his apartment's kitchen, various ingredients strewn about him. The gentle _clack_ ing of a knife against the cutting board as he sliced up a green apple was the only sound in the otherwise quiet room and he found himself enjoying the peacefulness of it all. In some ways the repetitious motion of running the various cheeses across the shredder, of rinsing the numerous vegetables and of carefully slicing the fruits and bread he had purchased was oddly therapeutic. It kept him calm when nervousness had threatened to overwhelm him, leaving only a comfortable anticipation for the evening in its wake.

Hunk had been right; the recipes _had_ been easy. Most of what he needed to do was prepare the ingredients; the actual cooking (or really, the combining as cooking was hardly involved) would happen once Keith had arrived and so he wasn't in a panicked rush to try and put everything together. It also gave him plenty of time to get himself ready – to shower, brush his teeth and put on a comfortable but sleek button-up paired with matching slacks. Now more than ever he was thankful that the Garrison was able to switch out his old, bulky prosthetic to a new, sleek one that Allura and Pidge had both designed, this time complete with an actual elbow joint; he had gotten tired of cutting off sleeves and was loathed to take a pair of scissors to one of his nicer shirts.

It was as he was placing the remaining dippers into bowls that there was a solid knock at the front door. Smiling to himself, his heart starting to palpitate with excitement, he quickly rinsed and dried his hands with the towel on his shoulder, hanging it before approaching and opening the door. There on the other side was Keith, dressed in a simple but well-made forest green sweater that hugged his form and brought out the violet in his eyes. The sleeves were bunched up and the neckline low-cut, a layered gray t-shirt peaking through from underneath. The jeans he had on looked freshly purchased and were just as form-fitting; Shiro couldn't help but briefly wonder if they had been painted on. Yet despite how well-fitting the clothes were, the first word that popped into Shiro's head is that Keith looked _comfortable_ , the kind of soft, homely attire that one would wear while curled up on a couch.

It warmed his heart.

“Hey,” he greeted, breathless and grinning.

“Hi,” replied Keith with a shy smile, a conspicuous blush evident on his face. “You... look really nice. It's been a long time since I've seen you were something like this.” He motioned to Shiro's outfit. The older man thought back to when that last time had been, recalling a date night with Adam that Shiro had canceled on last minute due to having just learned that it had been the anniversary of Keith's father's passing. He had hastened over to Keith's room, Adam thankfully understanding of the situation despite how rocky their relationship had been at the time. Keith had been flabbergasted to see him. At the time Shiro had believed it had been out of surprise that the cadet would have been considered a priority over a (not really) romantic evening with his boyfriend, but now, thinking back, maybe that hadn't been the _only_ reason.

“Thanks,” Shiro returned, moving back from the doorway to give Keith space to enter. “You look good too. I don't think I've ever seen you wear a sweater before.”

Keith gave a shy chuckle, bashfully rustling the back of his hair as he stepped over the threshold, Shiro shutting the door behind him. “Courtesy of Lance.” He began working to remove the boots that he had fought the Blue Paladin to still wear for the evening. “He threatened that he wouldn't allow me to leave the Paladin's quarters unless I let him take me clothes shopping. And we thought the Xefeldian's ritual of engagement to be an ordeal – wait until Lance has you stuck in a dressing room for an _hour_ trying on things he's picked out. I swear with how fast he kept tossing clothes over the door at one point I thought I was going to literally drown in clothing.”

The captain laughed, recalling that particular moment on the planet Xefeld where the inhabitants had forced the paladins (Shiro included) to overcome a series of challenges in order to exit a single room, just to gain their alliance. “Wow, that _is_ bad. Well, at least it was worth it. I would have been happy to have you here in your normal casuals, but you wear this look really well, too.”

He preened internally over the flush that spread across Keith's face. “I – ah – th-thanks.”

“Come on,” Shiro gestured over his shoulder toward the dining room which Keith started moving down the hall toward. He himself headed into the kitchen to collect a bit more of what they needed for the dinner part of the evening. “Everything's about ready to go. What do you want to drink? I've got wine on hand, but I also picked up that beer you really liked.”

“Beer sounds good,” Keith called back, “though I wouldn't mind trying the wine if you end up opening it. Hunk's getting me turned on to the stuff.”

“You got it.” A moment of clanging glass and bubbly pouring later, Shiro returned from the kitchen with a pint of beer in one hand and a bowl of cubed French bread in the other. He was stopped however by Keith who was blocking the dining room entryway, the paladin seemingly frozen in spot.

“...Keith?”

“Ah!” The younger man started before pivoting around and then moving out of the way. “Sorry, I just...” He side-eyed the dining room table which was dressed with a pristine white tablecloth and a small vase of flowers. On either end of the small table were two settings of plates, cloth napkins and long fondue forks. Hunk had suggested the use of the table cloth to make any drippings and crumbs easy to clean up, but Shiro had also wanted to go the extra mile and make the setting at least look like it was a worthy of a five-star restaurant.

Although he was staring to wonder if he had maybe gone too far. “Is this okay?”

“Yeah!” Keith exclaimed, shaking himself out of his stupor. “Yeah. I just...”

Shiro frowned with concern and placed the drink and bowl on the table before turning back to his date. The latter's expression was unreadable. “You just...?”

“I guess it just hit me... This is really happening,” muttered the Black Paladin in disbelief, eyes staring unseeing at the table. “I just never thought something like this would happen for me. To actually go on a date with someone.” He then looked back up at Shiro, his next words choked up, “or that that person would be you.”

“Keith...” Shiro wasted no time pulling the shorter man into his arms who eagerly hugged him back, ducking his head into the taller man's shoulder and holding on tight.

“Sorry, I didn't mean to get all... like this.”

“It's okay. It's more than okay,” the Atlas captain gently whispered back, running a hand through Keith's hair. “You deserve things like this and it makes me so happy that I can be the one to give them to you.”

Keith gave a short and quiet laugh before slowly pulling away, rubbing a palm against one eye as he collected himself. “You deserve it, too. I'm sorry I came completely unprepared.”

“You came _exactly_ as I wanted you to. Although,” Shiro grinned, “the outfit was a nice touch.” That earned another chuckle out of the Blade who once again shook his head, this time in mirth.

“Still, it would have been nice to do something to make you feel special, too.”

“Trust me,” he ran his fingers idly through Keith's hair as he fixed a purposeful gaze on him, as if he could relay just how serious he was through his eyes alone. “You already have. Now come on,” the Garrison pilot pulled back and motioned toward the table with a smirk and a wink, “I didn't go through all of this work just so we can stare at it.”

While Shiro returned to the kitchen to pick up the last of what he needed, Keith carefully took a seat in one of the two chairs, his motions cautious as if he was worried he'd disturb the elegant spread before him. “I seriously can't believe you did all this. If I remember right I don't think Adam let you into the kitchen even once.”

“Yeah, well,” Shiro began as he reentered the room with an open bottle of white wine in one hand and lighter in the other, “that was less about the quality of my meals and more because I would just make the same things over and over.”

“I guess it all makes sense now,” teased Keith, taking a sip of his beer as he watched Shiro pour some of the white wine first into the fondue pot and then his own glass before recorking it and setting it aside. He then took a small dish of lemon juice and tipped its contents in as well, giving the pot a quick swirl to mix its contents. After turning on the fondue heater, using the lighter he ignited the gas that came free, a small, controlled fire bursting into life. Keith gazed on, intrigued as the amateur cook began adding the various shredded cheeses to the bubbling mixture, the pieces carefully melting while he stirred. As Shiro was adding the final ingredients to the concoction, the Blade couldn't help but note, “I don't think I've ever had something like this. Have you made this before?”

The Atlas captain shook his head. “Nope, this is all courtesy of Hunk. Adam and I went out to a fondue restaurant once, but that's about it. It was fun, but I thought this would be a better fit for the night.”

“Well, you look like a pro then,” Keith commended. He then cut a sly simper while Shiro was setting down the large mixing spoon in favor of his wine glass, and added, “you're gonna have to show me how to do it; it's my first time after all.”

Shiro sputtered and coughed into his fist, a vibrant blush covering his cheeks as he nervously tittered with a smile. Even though it always caught him off guard, he treasured the moments when Keith felt so comfortable, so trusting of Shiro's presence that his confident, almost- _flirtatious_ side would come out. After he collected himself, the taller man teased back, “I'd love to. But first,” he gestured to his wine glass, motioning it forward toward Keith who caught on to the idea and softly tapped it with his own pint. There weren't any toasts or 'cheers' – words weren't needed when it came to the two of them.

To Shiro's delight, the cheese fondue came out perfectly: flavorful without being overpowering and the consistency as smooth as it could be. But what he enjoyed most of all were the expressions that would dance across Keith's face as he tried out the unfamiliar dish and found that he actually liked it.

Good. There was more of that to come.

Dinner carried on light-hearted and easy; at one point Shiro used a dipped bread cube to “accidentally” smear cheese across Keith's cheek; he in turn retaliated with a not-so-accidental (and thankfully undipped) slice of carrot catapulted via fondue fork. It had felt like old times, when Shiro would help Keith out at night and the two together would hit up one of the 24/7 diners in town. Around one A.M. the two of them could be seen sitting in one of the booths, chowing down on ranch-dipped fries and joking without a care in the world. The only difference was back then Shiro wouldn't have had one of his ankles pressed firmly against Keith's under the table.

When there were only a few bits of broccoli left and no cheese fondue with which to coat them, Shiro started to collect the various dishes. “Nope, don't get up,” he instructed when Keith moved to help him. “You stay right there; we're not done yet.”

“Not done?” the Black Paladin grinned. “Really?”

“Yup,” came the response from the kitchen with a pop on the last letter. A few minutes and a couple of back-and-forth trips to the kitchen later, Shiro was adding chunks of chopped chocolate into the fondue pot, already full of heated whipping cream, mixing it just as before and topping it off with a pinch of salt.

“You're really picking this up, aren't you?” Keith fondly commented; his tone suggested he was a bit impressed by the show presented before him.

The Atlas captain smiled, eyes focused on the task in front of him so that the chocolate would not burn to the walls of the pot. “It's fun. You might want to try making it too sometime.”

“Ha, can you imagine it? Me, doing something like making fondue? And chocolate of all things. Lance would have a field day.”

“Maybe.” Shiro set the spoon aside then picked up the remaining fondue fork on Keith's end of the table, offering it to him, “but maybe you'll be more inclined to do it if you like it enough. Go on,” he twisted the plate of dippers so that the carefully cut strawberries, bananas, and (canned, not that anyone needed to know) pineapple was toward his favorite person, “give it a try.”

Keith chuckled to himself as he slowly speared one of the strawberry halves. “Well, guess now I can say I've had chocolate-covered strawberries. And in a romantic setting no less.” Shiro watched with rapt attention as the other man delicately dipped it into the fondue and gave it a slight swirl as he lifted it out to loosen the drippings. He didn't hesitate, putting the whole thing in his mouth, a contemplative look on his face as he chewed. Hardly a moment later his visage brightened, almost shocked. “It's... good. Really good.” He looked back up to catch Shiro's fixed gaze and blushed. “What?”

“Nothing,” the captain beamed, “it's just nice to see you enjoy something.”

“Wha- I enjoy things!”

Shiro nodded in agreement. “You do. I just mean, to get to see you enjoy something like this, the nice little things.” He reached across the underside of the table to take Keith's hand, giving it a squeeze as he lifted it to rest on top on the clothed wood within his own. He peered down at it, pensive even as the other's flush intensified two-fold. “I want to do more of this, you know, now that the war is over. Give you all of the experiences you never got before. Give you all of the nice things you deserve.”

Keith openly gaped at him, his eyes suddenly glossy in a way that caught the light in the room. He closed his mouth and blinked a few times before offering a bright and watery smile. “I've already got the nicest of things; I've got you, don't I?”

The Atlas captain closed his eyes, the fluttering of his heart threatening to overwhelm him, to burst with affection. He took a deep breath and once more opened them, staring into Keith's with warm promise. “You do,” he breathed. “For as long as you'll have me.”

“Then you better be ready to stick around for a long time,” the younger man whispered, grinning fondly, his face inching closer, “because I'm never letting you go.”

There was no way Shiro could let another second go to waste; he gently pressed his lips to Keith's who returned the kiss with equal fervor, eyes shut to commit the moment to memory. Fingertips traced over jawlines and intertwined with soft hair, the fondue set aside briefly forgotten. So close to the man he loved, Shiro could taste whispers of the chocolate fondue on the Keith's lips, the sweet flavor juxtaposed with the remnants of the savory fondue on his own.

It was a perfect mix - just like the two of them.

Fin.

**Author's Note:**

> * Adapted from Tyler Florence's recipe for cheese fondue:  
> https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/tyler-florence/cheese-fondue-recipe-1906678
> 
> Full disclosure: I've not yet tried the recipe, so consume at your own risk. XD  
> Although it's cheese. How can you go wrong with cheese?  
> ...Man I know what's the first thing I want to get after this quarantine is over. Til then, stay healthy, stay safe my friends.
> 
> Come help me support other content creators on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/Omnidolor), or to chat about fandom or writing!


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